In a networking environment, a client device may be connected to an access point (AP) or a virtual access point (VAP) within a network. The AP or VAP may be connected to and managed by a network controller, which may be a part of a network controller cluster. If a network controller were to fail, then a client device managed by the failed network controller can automatically be managed by a backup network controller within the network controller cluster. This process may be referred to as a failover.